Automobile curtain or panel



Feb. 3. 1925.

w. E. GOULD AUTOMOBILE CURTAINOR PANEL Filed March 17, 1924 j INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

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WALTER m n), on nnrnoir, iilon enn, nssienon TonInnnn-Gonnnfotknn- TRQ'IT, MICHIGAN, A COPARTNER-SIEIIP oonsrsrme on ALBERT E. BINDER AND WALTER E. GOULD.

AUTOMOBILE CURTAIN on PANEL.

Application filed March 17, 19 24. Serial'No. b99397.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER E. GOULD, citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county 6f Wayne, State of Michi gan have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Automobile Curtains or "Panels; and declare the following to be a full, clear,- and exact description of the same, su'chas will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany- "ing drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invent-ion relates to an improvement 'in automobile curtains or panels shown in the accompanying drawings and more particularly described in the following specification and claims.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an automobile curtain or panel employed in connection with other panels in the construction of an automobile top, it be ing especially designed for use in'conjunction with the doors of a touring car,the construction being such that the glass may be'shifted to provide for ventilation.

Another feature of the invention comprises a simple and inexpensively constructed frame adapted to support the glass in the curtain panel. i

A further object of the invention consists in the means for detachably' securing the loweredge of the frame to the door of the vehicle, the construction being such that upon opening the door the panel will open with it. a

A further object of the invention is to providemeans whereby thedetachable panel i will not become accidentally disengaged from the door.

A; further object of the invention is to provide shock absorbing means that will serve to prevent the fracture of the glass resulting providea framefor supporting the glass constructed of commercial iron in whic-h an angleiron is combined with a channel iron in such amanner that two adjacent channels are formed for the respective lights of glass forming' the windo'w,the arrangement bemg such that the lights are separatedby only a singlechannel wa ll'that theymay be closely adjacent each other and tl1us.:pre-

vent theentry of'drafts when the'windo ws are closed. a a, a. o

With the foregoing and other objects-in view which will appear as the"de'scription" changes may be made in the precise embodi ment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit of the same.

In the drawings accompanying thisspecification:

Figure 1 is a perspective viewof; afmotor" vehicle of the touring car type, showingfwindow panel curtains attached to thedoors in con]unct1on with the usual side curtains of thecar. I I

Figure 2 1s a perspective view'of a frame in which are mounted channel and angle iron members bolted together to form" two channels for supporting separate lights of glass ;the angle iron members have been omitted in this view to more clearlyshow the construction of the'channel iron members Figure 3 is a cross-sectionalview of the panel taken through both the channel and the angle iron members on or about line III-III of Figure 2,'showing thecurtain attached to the door of a vehicle and bearing against a horizontal supporting member forming part of thetop frame.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail View of one corner of the frame showing the channel iron secured to the frame and with the angle ironattached to the channel iron, also indicating the glass supported in the groove of the channel and angle iro-ns the cornersof the glass being cut off to allow for the'passage-of bolts and screws; connecting the angleiron with thech anneliron.

Figure'lo is a horizontal "sectional view forming one of the glasssupporting'frames.

of a detail of construction, taken on or about line V of Figure 2.

Referring now to the letters of reference placed upon the drawings:

A denotes an automobile, B its doors hinged to the body of the car.

C designates a Ushaped frame preferably formed of sheet metal.

D indicates a channel iron bolted to the ends of the U-shaped frame.

E, E, represent channel irons bolted to the frame C, and to the channel iron D.

F denotes a channel iron bolted to the upper and lower channel members E, E.

G designates angle irons bolted to the channel iron members D, E, E, and F, by tubular bolts H and screws H extending through the several elements adjacent the corners of the frame.

I, I, indicate lights of glass respectively lodged in the grooves formed by the channel and angle irons,the corners of the lights of glass being cut away as at I that they may not interfere with the passage of the bolt H and screw H By employing an. angle iron in conjunction with a channel member the separate lights of glass forming the window are brought into close relation to each other so that when the window is closed a draft is not apt to enter between the overlapping edges of the glass.

J represents hooks formed of sheet metal secured to the lower member of the frame .by a single bolt J and as a matter of good mechanical construction are provided with a flange J overlapping the edge of the frame that a single bolt or rivet may se cure the hook to the frame and prevent its turning thereon.

K denotes a cooperating element also formed of sheet metal preferably attached to the inner wall of the door adjacent its upper edge having a bent portion K" overlapping the edge of the door to which is attached a stud L to receive the hooks J, J,

attached tothe frame.

' M designates the curtain fabric covering the frame C, and channel members supporting the glass. The fabric overlaps the walls of the channel members and projects inwardly to form a cushion for the lights of glass supported therein.

The angle iron member is also covered with; a fabric N overlapping its outer surface and extending between the glass and inner wall of the angle iron forming with the curtain fabric a cushion for the lights of glass supported in the channel provided between the angle iron and channel members.

P indicates the usual horizontal member of the frame forming an automobile top, against which the upper member of the frame C covered by the curtain fabric is ure 1 of the drawings.

brought to bear, whereby shocks occasioned through slamming the door may be absorbed without danger of fracturing the glass.

The marginal edge of the curtain fabric is provided with a snap hook engaging device Q,diagrammatically indicated in Fig- These devices serve to prevent the accidental withdrawal of the hooks J when in engagement with the stud L of the cooperating member K, attached to the edge of thedoor.

R, R, represent finger clips diagrammatically indicated in Figure 1, attached to the glass to facilitate sliding the latter in the supporting channel members when it is desired to open the windows for ventilation.

While I prefer to employ the element K attached to the door of the car with its stud L it will be obvious that an engaging stud may be secured in the edge of the door if desired. 1 have found, however, in practice that the device shown is preferable in the majority of cases.

It will be noted upon referring to Fig ure 3 that the upper member of the sup porting frame C lies adjacent to and bears against the horizontal member P of the automobile top, thus shocks occasioned by slamming the door are absorbed, thereby relieving the glass supported in the channel frames of undue stress.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

c 1. An automobile curtain comprising a cloth body having an opening, a supporting frame surrounding the opening secured to the curtain adjacent the marginal edges of the cloth body, channel members bolted to the supporting frameforming a frame within the supporting frame, angle irons bolted to the channel members forming a channel groove adjacent the groove of the channel members, transparent slidable panels respectively mounted in the groove of the channel and in the groove formed by the angle iron members, said cloth body covering the supporting frame and channel members and means for securing the supporting frame to the door of a vehicle. 7

2. An automobile curtain comprising a cloth body having an opening, a supporting frame secured to the curtain adjacent the marginal edges of the cloth body, channel members bolted "to the supporting frame forming a rectangular frame within the sup porting frame, angle irons bolted to the sides of the channel members forming grooves adapted to be secured to a door of a. vehicle to receive the hook-shaped elements, Whereby the supporting frame is secured to the door that it may open therewith.

3. An automobile curtain having an opening, a U-shaped supporting frame secured to the curtain adjacent its marginal edges, a channel member connecting the ends of the U-shaped frame, channel members bolted to the supporting frame forming a rectangular frame within the supporting frame, angle irons bolted to the sides of the channel members forming grooves adjacent the grooves of the channel frame, slidable glass panels respectively mounted in the grooves of the channel frame and in the grooves formed by the angle iron members, hookshaped elements secured to the supporting frame having a flange overlapping the flange of the frame, cooperating engaging members adapted to be secured to the inner side of the door of a vehicle bent to overlap the upper edge of the door and provided with a projecting stud to receive the hookshaped elements secured to the supporting frame and means for engaging the curtain adapted to maintain the hook-shaped ele ments in engagement with their cooperating studs, whereby they may be held against accidental disengagement.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses. WVALTER E. GOULD. Witnesses S. E. THOMAS, R. V. GANN. 

